The Deal
by Sheankelor
Summary: This is the sequel to "Honoring the Deal" and it is going to be a multi-chapter. It starts at the beginning of third year and will be told from all four Head of Houses view. The year has already started off poorly, and Filius feels the need to partake in drinks, sweets, and laughter. He hopes that the others will agree with him and that Severus will provide the cure for their fun.
1. 1: Remaking the Deal

_Remaking the Deal_

Filius refrained from doodling on the edge of the parchment that he was taking notes on. This meeting was as boring and as meaningless as he had thought it was going to be. A quick glance about showed that the other Heads of House agreed with him. Not that the Auror that was talking to them would even notice. Most likely not even the other teachers could tell, but he knew his fellow house leaders.

This school year was shaping up to be as aggravating as last year, if not more so, which was a feat in and of itself as last year there had been a basilisk roaming the halls. This year they were faced with an escaped convict who not only succeeded in doing the impossible by getting out of Azkaban, but knew the grounds of Hogwarts like the back of his hand. That was, as long as he wasn't insane by now.

Sirius Black had once run about the grounds with one of the pranking groups, one of the more infamous groups. Only the Weasley Twins rivaled them in their knowledge of the school, and truthfully, Flitwick preferred the redheaded menaces to the other group. At least their pranks were more fairly distributed against the houses.

Filius leaned back in his seat, attempting to focus on the Auror. The teachers had come back this year to an unprecedented amount of meetings and their time to complete what needed to be done was being eaten away. The ones who this affected the most were the House Heads mainly due to the fact that they had more work that had to be completed within these walls. There was only so much you could do over summer break.

When the Auror brought up the dementors for the twentieth time, Filius made another tally mark on his parchment and cast a look over at Pomona and Minerva. They were the ones he could see without turning around. Pomona was tightening and relaxing her grip around her quill. Each time her fingers tightened, the quill came closer and closer to snapping. Minerva seemed focused on the man in red that was addressing them, but Filius could tell that her eyes were focused inward not outward. Her quill was not quite moving in time with the speaker to be taking notes.

He knew that his parchment was covered with notes on what he needed to do to be ready for his eagles. He had also written out the schedule for the seventh years. It was currently tucked under the parchment that he was using to hide his actions from prying eyes. In a moment, he was going to work on sixth year. He watched as the Auror scanned his captive audience to see if they were taking him seriously. Filius refrained from the sigh he wanted to heave. _'Albus has already covered most of this. And he did a better job at laying out the reason and the safety procedures in place. He at least was willing to say that all this was because they are worried that Black might hunt down Potter. This Auror just keeps dancing about the issue.'_

Holding in the sigh, he realized what he really needed at that moment was the promise of a drink, some biscuits, and a good laugh. He flicked his eyes once again to his fellow heads, even going so far as to turn just slightly so that he could see Severus out of the corner of his eye. Even the Head of Slytherin was not completely paying attention. Taking care not to attract unwanted attention, Filius tore a small square off the edge of his upper parchment page. On the top of the fragment he wrote "F= the bowl". Using a charm he had learned from the Severus, he caused the fragment to appear in the center of Pomona's parchment.

Pomona blinked at the slip of parchment that appeared in the center of her greenhouse plans. A quick glance told her who it was from and what it was about. She looked back at the Auror who was now on his second hour of saying the same thing he had covered in the first fifteen minutes. She had lots of practice noticing when she was not holding her students attention, and also how to tell if they weren't listening. She made sure that she did not display the signs of her wandering attention, and unfortunately the Auror had no clue what to look for to tell. _'I hope that if he did, then he would have stopped by now.'_

She glanced around at the glazed over eyes that were doing their best to look like they were giving their undivided attention to the man who needed a silencing charm. Looking back at the slip of parchment, she inscribed a "PS= snacks" under Filius' entry. She leaned over to dip her quill in the inkpot that she and Minerva were sharing, and she slipped the note into a spot where her friend was sure to notice it. It was a move she had seen students do numerous times, and if it had been Albus talking she wouldn't have dared, but at the moment she almost didn't care if the Auror noticed.

Minerva started slightly when Pomona nudged her arm as she dipped her quill. She threw a quick glance at the herbology teacher to determine what was wrong.

Pomona briefly flickered her eyes towards the note that was now resting under Minerva's arm.

Sliding the scrap over a bit, Minerva scanned it quickly. She made a few more notes on her parchment before she wrote on the scrap. She glanced across the room towards Severus wondering how to get the message to him. His eyes were fixed on the Auror, and the glare that he was sending should have ended the speaker's life. She remembered that he had been drawn out of his potions ingredients inventory for this meeting. Part of her hoped that the Auror was staying for lunch. If he was, she made a mental note not to eat whatever he did just in case the house elves spiked the entire dish versus just the man's serving.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, willing the spy to feel her gaze and look at her. When he did, she gave a meaningful look to the parchment scrap she had sitting next to the inkpot. When he flicked his eyes back front, she did as well. When she looked back down, the scrap was gone.

Severus had just finished deciding what he was going to give the long-winded, self-important Auror who had rambled on for an hour and a half too long when he felt someone's eyes digging into him. A quick glance showed him that it was Minerva. He caught sight of the tiny scrap of parchment that she indicated to him. He looked back to the presenter, hoping she would do so as well. He did not want to call anyone's attention to him at that moment.

Resting his fingers on his wand, Severus carefully summoned the parchment to him using a charm of his own creation. It caused the parchment to pop from one place to another. It was a wonderful tool when he was a spy. It let him look at plans without actually being near where they were created. All he had to do was look at the trash the others threw about the table. From that he could typically determine more than he could from the final plan. The parchment appeared in his fingers. Slipping it onto the table top he repressed the smirk that was trying to form. Jotting a quick "SS- the cure" under Minerva's "M – drinks", he popped the scrap back to Filius since he was in a position to let the other know that he had agreed.

Filius barely repressed the start when his parchment scrap appeared back under his hand. Looking at it he smiled and relaxed back in his seat. He notice Minerva and Pomona watching his action. They relaxed as well. A side look showed that Severus hadn't. Then again, the man was good enough not to give himself away like that. He looked towards the headmaster who was sitting in the front. _'Does he even know what we were doing? Is he even really paying attention?'_ From the back he couldn't tell.

Suddenly a house elf appeared in front of the room startling the Auror. "Tiffy wants to know where to serve lunch, Headmaster sir."

Albus looked at the elf, his eyes twinkling. "It is lunch time? Then we should repair to the Great Hall. Auror Stanley, would you care to join us?"

The man that had been boring them nodded in agreement. "I would be pleased to have lunch here. There are a few more points that I feel that I need to cover, so perhaps we can reconvene afterwards."

Severus' eyes narrowed slightly before he slipped out the door. He made it to his dungeons and picked out the small bottle he wanted. "Tiffy."

The small house elf appeared, her bulbous blue eyes widened slightly when she spotted the Potions Master. "Professor Snape, sir. Did Tiffy do wrong?"

"No Tiffy, you did just right. I just have one more thing to ask of you." He smirked when he noticed the house elf's grin. He handed her the small vial. "Spread a drop of this over the inside the Auror's cup, and lightly brush a drop over his silverware. Make sure that no one else gets any."

Tiffy's eyes brightened. "Right away Professor Snape, sir." She popped away not needing any other directions.

Severus rushed off to the Great Hall not worried that anyone would have proof of what he did. There were no portraits in his room, and Tiffy would not tell Albus even if he questioned her. Patting his pocket, he made sure that he had the headache potions that he had slipped in there.

Entering through the side door, he settled into his seat next to Minerva. Setting one of the potions next to her plate, he smirked at her. "I noticed you were starting to rub you forehead and thought you might need this."

Minerva looked at the offered vial. Looking up at the dark eyed man, she gave him a grimace that was a smile in disguise and tossed back the potion. "Thanks. Do you really think we will have to go back?"

Severus glanced over at Albus. "I'm sure that we will have to."

He watched as Albus signaled for the food to be served. Digging into his food, he decided on which storage closet he was going to start on first.

It wasn't long into the next part of the session that Auror Stanley had to rush out the door, heading for the nearest restroom. When he came back, Poppy took one look at him and marched him up to the infirmary. Albus dismissed them to do what they needed to do for the rest of the day.

Severus, Filius, Minerva and Pomona caught each others eyes. They would meet up tonight, normal time.


	2. 2: Practical Herbology is a Must

_Practical Herbology is a Must_

Pomona settled the last bit of dirt around the roots of the Fanged Geranium that she was potting. The evening had come quickly, and the greenhouse was finally coming together. She knew she shouldn't be glad that the Auror had fallen ill during the after lunch meeting, but she couldn't help but be grateful that she had a chance to get partially caught up.

A quick glance out the glass told her that she had missed dinner. Setting back on her heels, she surveyed the area around her. There were three devil's snares she had to plant and then she could call it an evening. Well at least out here. There was a schedule to write up neatly, and lesson plans to revise, but she could work on those while she ate whatever she could convince the house elves to bring her. After that she was heading up to Filius' office. As she started on the devil's snares she tried to decide on what memory from the summer she could show them. Tonight was a night for laughter, and she needed something that all of them could appreciate.

(o.o)

With her biscuits tin in hand, Pomona knocked on the Charms Master's door. She was sure that the others were there ahead of her, but a quick glance over her shoulder showed Severus coming down the hall, his robe billowing out behind him. Filius opened the door and they both saw Minerva already settled in, her first glass of scotch in her hand.

"Sorry I'm running behind. The greenhouses took a bit more time than I thought." She set the tin on the table and poured her own glass from Minerva's bottle.

"We are right on time." Severus carefully dropped three vials onto the table top. "They're just early."

Minerva smirked towards them. "Comes from not having a greenhouse or a potions supply closet. Not that we don't have supplies to work with, they are just not quite as time consuming." She poured Severus a glass. "And I want to thank you Severus for getting us out of the afternoon meeting."

Severus turned a bland eye towards her. "I have no idea what you are referring too."

The others just nodded. There was no need to actually confirm that he had poisoned the man.

Raising her wand to her head, Pomona pulled out a silvery thread and dropped the memory into the pensive. "I figured I would start this evening." She glanced over at Filius. "Do you know if the charms on the pensive will prevent dangerous noises from hurting those who are viewing the memory?"

Filius's brow furrowed while he thought. Finally, he shook his head. "I'm not sure. Do we need to take earmuffs with us?"

When Pomona nodded yes, Minerva quickly transfigured a pair for each of them in their house colors. She repressed her grin when Severus glared at the green pair in his hand. It took him not a second to turn them black.

Pomona grinned as she tucked her yellow and black pair into her robe pocket. "Let's go."

They all touched the surface and fell into a jungle.

"We are in Brazil, on the Amazon river. This is during the herbology conference for teachers that I went to." She glanced about at the memory people they were standing about with. She was pretty easy to pick out of the group. The rest of the teachers had taken out the time to point out her stained heavier robes as unsuitable and her fly away hair as something that needed to be tamed. Most of them were dressed in nice, light weight robes or shorts and t-shirts. "I don't remember all of their names, but the one in the blue shorts and white shirt is Professor Sandy, and the one in the cream colored robes is Professor Gray."

Severus glanced over at the two whom she remembered the names for. For their names to stick in Pomona's head meant that they were the ones to watch. He took a moment to hang his earmuffs around his neck. "Are you going to warn us when we need the ear protection?"

"Sure. Though I think you will figure it out fairly quickly." She grinned at him. He would be the one to know before the others, that she was positive of.

"Even I know that you should be wearing clothes that are long and heavy enough to protect you from the plants and their associated fauna." Filius let his eyes travel over the other people assembled. "Am I to assume that they are herbology teachers?"

Pomona nodded. "I think they left their brains at school and were only thinking of the weather. Some of them did make a concession to what we were doing. Professor Gray's robe is at least long sleeved."

Minerva watched as the person in charge split them up into groups. "Come on, let's keep up."

Trailing behind the group that contained herself, Pomona point out whom everyone else was. "As you can see, Professor Grey and Professor Sandy are in my group. Professor Grey is from a small school and his class is one that specializes in medicinal herbs. Professor Sandy is from a fairly large school. He made sure to talk about all the awards his herbology class has won for the identification of plants. He says that he concentrates on the dangerous ones. The one there in the pink." She gestured towards a short blonde who was peering at a small herb with white flowers. "She only teaches first through third years. The young man in the russet shirt and jean shorts, he teaches the upper years at the same school as pink lady. The girl in the green robes, she works at an herbology specialty school. She runs their greenhouses."

Filius watched as the members of the group acted worse than the third years that Pomona had shown last year. Shaking his head, he quicken his pace to keep up.

Severus cast a quick glance at the people that Pomona was pointing out, but he kept being distracted the different plants he would love to get a hold of.

Pomona watched as Severus looked at the different plants that were about them. She could see his fingers flexing as if he was trying to pick certain ones. "Severus, I'm coming back here next year. Do you want to send me a list of plants and parts that you want?" The black eyes shot over towards her, assessing the request and wondering at the cost. "If you could make me some of that strong bug repellent that you gave me, the one that kept the mosquitoes off me that summer I had to work, I'll get you whatever you want."

"Done. I'll have the list to you tomorrow." He examined the flora a bit closer.

Minerva fell into step next to memory Sprout who was listening to Professor Gray ramble on about the plants they were looking at. She shot a look at the real Pomona. "Don't you know all that already?"

Pomona smiled. "Yes. He felt the need to teach, so I listened. I will say that I felt like telling him what he forgot to mention. But after years of hearing Severus setting people straight so succinctly I didn't feel like I could do it justice." She caught Severus' smirk out of the corner of her eye.

Filius shook his head. "Really, you would think he would know that you would already understand the material. You are a teacher of herbology, too."

Pomona's smile made them wonder. "Not all herbologists are of the same caliber. And he was one of the presenters earlier who had a group that had no idea what he was talking about. Of course it is because of those years listening to Severus that I knew most of what he was talking about."

They trailed behind the group a bit longer until the rounded a corner. Severus hands immediately went to his earmuffs. Pomona pulled hers out and told the other two to do so as well. She held them a bit away from her ears, so they would know that they didn't need them on yet.

"Now this is the event that I still don't understand. Professor Sandy never had a good explanation for his actions."

Professor Sandy ran forward towards a tall tree with heart shaped, bright green leaves. Its greenish-white flowers were on long spikes. He was completely focused on it. "A Dragon's Blood tree? It shouldn't be here. They are not normally found in this region."

"Professor Sandy! Look out!" The memory Sprout called out after the running professor.

Pomona nodded to the others and let her earmuffs cover her ears. They watched as the man ignored her warning and ran right into a patch of devil's snare. As he was being dragged away, they could see him grab a hold of a small leafy plant. Memory Sprout obviously telling him to let go of it while she was casting a bluebell flame at the devil's snare. One hand went into her robe pocket and pulled out a pair of earmuffs. Her hat hit the ground as she expertly put them on with just one hand. The plant that the man had grabbed onto came out of the ground, revealing a screaming baby mandrake. Sandy passed out as did the others in the group who had been milling in the background, lost confused expressions on their face. Memory Sprout tucked her wand away before she took the baby mandrake from the now passed out man and replanted it. She then pulled Sandy out of the devil's snare ashes.

Present Pomona took off her earmuffs. When the rest of the group did, she shook her head. "He is really lucky that he pulled the baby out of that patch. I can't believe that he did that."

Severus smirked at her. "The only explanation is that he is a dunderhead who does not have enough practical experience in his field. Why did the others at least not throw up a silencing charm?" He gestured to the rest of the group who were littering the ground like fallen leaves.

Pomona raised an eyebrow. "They didn't recognize the plant fast enough. They were distracted by looking for more devil's snare. They were trying to figure out what the tree was. That was their list of excuses when they were questioned later."

They watched as Sprout _rennervate _the group. She then crossed her arms, tapping her wand against her upper arm while she frowned down at Sandy. The other heads recognized that look. It was one the students learned once they saw it. It typically meant a detentionat the least. "You, who were boasting about your skills, stepped in an obvious mess of devil's snare and then pulled a mandrake? How... how could you be that oblivious?"

The other professors looked at her taking in her now dustier hat, which she had retrieved, and the earmuffs now resting around her neck. "Where did you get the earmuffs from?"

She looked over at the now not impeccably dressed Professor Grey. "My robe pocket. At Hogwarts I teach a practical Herbology course. Not only do you learn about the plants, you work with them and learn to avoid the dire consequences of dealing with them."

"But you had earmuffs in your pocket?" It was the pink witch who asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Second years were growing mandrakes this past year. It does to always be ready just in case." Sprout answered off handedly.

Pomona chimed in after the memory her spoke. "And especially if you have curious students plowing around the greenhouses."

Sandy dusted off his shorts. "Second years? You trust them with mandrakes? When do you teach devil's snare? First year?"

"Yes, don't you?" Sprout looked at him surprised. "And the second years only deal with baby mandrakes. The sixth and seventh years work with them when they get older."

Minerva turned to Pomona. "Why do you looked surprised?"

Pomona watched for a moment longer as the Sandy explained that he taught devil's snare during third year. "Because everyone at this meeting had been talking about how advanced his students were, and how early they were introduced to the plants. I never did find out when he taught mandrakes, if he did at all."

Severus snorted. "I doubt that he does. He didn't recognize the plant, and that is one that you would instantly recognize, or should, due to the danger of it."

The others nodded in agreement. They watched as Sprout herded the group back to the facility that was hosting them while mumbling about how she was not Poppy and they would have to see someone soon. The image dissolved and then ended back up in their seats.

Filius looked at the herbology teacher. "So, why are you going back next year?"

Pomona borrowed one of Severus' smirks. "They want me to teach about mandrakes."

Minerva shook her head. "I thought they were herbologist?"

Pomona shrugged. "Different calibers... different calibers." Downing her scotch, she looked at Filius. "So, what memory do you have for us?"

Filius tapped his fingers on the side of his glass. "I might just have one to equal yours on the inability of others to understand their own subject."

Severus held up a hand. "Can I have some parchment Filius?" He pulled a quill and inkpot out of his robe.

Filius grinned and summoned a piece for him. Pomona retrieved her memory as Severus wrote out the list of plants he wanted her to collect from.


	3. 3: Charming Shopping Rules

_Chapter 3: Charming Shopping Rules_

Filius dropped the silver strand into the pensive. With a quick glance at Severus to make sure he was ready, he touched the surface.

Severus set the quill on top of the parchment. He would finish the list before the evening was done. He didn't want to forget anything that he spotted. Leaning forward, he touched the charmed bowl, falling into a small parlor decorated in blues and cool grays. The others were already there watching as the memory Filius sat on a small sofa balancing a cup of tea quite skillfully. Smirking, he turned to the present Filius. "Looks like you get to practice your tea balancing skills somewhere else besides the Headmaster's office."

Filius smiled up at him. "Well, one must keep in practice over the summer. I would hate to have the Headmaster think that I had forgotten such an important skill. Even a bit of time off could lessen my ability level, and that would be tragic. I am a Ravenclaw."

Pomona snorted before she could help it. The others were doing their best not to laugh. "And we all know that Ravenclaw's are always striving for perfection."

Minerva shook her head, a small grin still gracing her face. "So, who are you waiting on?" No one else had come into the scene yet.

"Naudia Angelopoulos. She is a good friend. Severus be nice." Filus turned towards the Head of Slytherin.

Severus narrowed his eyes as he took in the warning. "Is she a flighty dunderhead?"

Filius shook his head no. "She is flighty but not a dunderhead. She is just really good at hiding her brains."

Severus folded his arms as he raised his eyebrow at the small Head of Ravenclaw. "I shall endeavor to look past this and withhold my judgment."

Pomona glanced at the door that had yet to open. "She sure is having you wait a long time."

"She was running late, and I wanted to give us a chance to talk before she got here."

_The door opened admitting a brown haired, brown eyed witch. She was completely unremarkable in appearance, nothing about her would make her stick in your mind. That was until she noticed Filius sitting on the sofa. Her face went through an entire range of emotions, from mortification, embarrassment, enthusiasm, and settling on happiness. She literally skipped across the room to bounce onto the sofa next to Filius. _

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the way the memory Filius kept his tea in his cup. Filius meet her look with a smirk he borrowed from Severus. "Skills."

The other Heads just shook their heads. They focused back on the scene when Naudia started talking in a soft soprano.

"_You made it. I was thinking you were going to spend a few more days at the school. I am so-o-o-o-o sorry that you've been left waiting. I was just out at the store. They have the most wonderful bird..." She bounced off the sofa and pulled Filius to his feet. "You've got to come see it. And then you can tell me if the shop keeper is telling the truth." _

_Filius barely had a chance to put the tea cup down before he was hauled out the door. _

Pomona shooed them out the door behind the excited witch and her captured partner. As they followed the two, Severus looked about trying to determine where they were. His attention was drawn back to the babbling of Naudia as she continued talking to the captured Filius.

"_I want to get this animated bird..." She spun about to grin at Filius. "You know how much I love birds, but I just don't have time for one." Before he could answer, she continued. "This is an animated bird, so I won't have to take care of it. It sings and flits about and everything I want, but ..."_

Severus felt an eyebrow raising as watched the memory Filius try to get a word in edgewise. He had never thought to see the small man treated like this. He looked at the present Filius. "Did you know?"

The look he got was an answer itself, but Filius answered him in words as well. "Naudia has been talking about getting a bird since before you were student here Severus. Yes, I knew."

Naudia's voice broke into their conversation.

"_It is here. I hope you can tell me if it has to be in the cage for the charm to work. I don't want it in the cage." Her face was a mixture of hopefulness and wariness. She was prepared to be told what she didn't want to hear. _

They stopped in front of a store that was obviously a novelties shop. The windows were crowded with a multitude of different objects that scampered, skittered, teetered, and glowed. The other Heads almost laughed when Severus held back, visibly not wanting to go into the shop.

Minerva smiled up at him. "It is a memory, nothing in there can attack you." Her eyes sparkled for a moment, wondering what he was nervous about.

"The noise still can," was all he said before he strode in.

As soon as they were through the door the noise level raised past the level of the Great Hall filled to capacity with babbling students. Filius signaled for them to come further in. Once they were another two feet into the shop, the noise level dropped drastically. "I don't know if the owner realizes just how much business he is loosing because of that charm."

Pomona eyed the doorway warily. "Is it done right? I mean, is that what the charm is supposed to do?"

Filius turned one corner of his mouth up. "It is done correctly, it is the application that is the problem."

_They watched as Naudia pulled Filius over to a large cage with about fifteen small birds. "See, aren't they pretty. And they are made out of some type of fluff stuffed into a metal frame and feathers attached to a cloth stretched over the frame." The birds started warbling a soft song as they looked at them. _

_A tall, thin, dirty blond haired man wove his way through the small tables that littered the inside of the shop. "Ah! Back again to admire the birds. Are you ready to take one home with you today? I still have one cage left." _

_Naudia looked at the shopkeeper. "I still think there has to be a way for them to work outside of the cage." She flickered her eyes towards Filius and then back to the shopkeeper. _

"She is not asking you to figure out the charms the man is using, is she?" Severus raised an eyebrow at the bubbling witch while waiting for Filius to answer him.

"No, she want me to discover a way to circumvent the use of the cage." Filius watched as the shopkeeper explained in a tired way that there was no way for the charm to work outside of the cage.

The other Heads watched the memory Filius' face register the challenge. They were positive that the shopkeeper didn't recognize the look, but they could tell that Naudia did. The Head of the Ravenclaw house leaned over and whispered in her ear. The ones viewing the memory could see a pure Slytherin smirk cross her face before she wiped it out to face the shopkeeper.

"_I'll take it. As there is no other way to get it to work." She heaved a sigh as she waited for the man to bring out the cage. _

_He lined the doors up carefully so that the openings matched. "Which one do you wish?" He flicked his eyes over towards Naudia. _

_She gestured to the one in the back of the cage. "The one with the bright red wing tips." _

_The man summoned the bird into the cage, casting another spell once it entered. "Transfero totus" He then shut the door and headed to the register. _

_Once they were out of the shop, Filius took the cage from Naudia. "You want the bird to be able to work out of the cage, right?" She nodded. "Then we can do that. Do you have a bit of silver on you?" _

When Naudia pulled an oddly shaped lump of silver from her pocket, the Heads turned to stare at Filius. He smiled. "It is part of her job. She tests and carries bits of different types of materials on her person." At their disbelieving looks he shrugged. "She works for the goblins." As Severus raised an eyebrow, Filius just directed them to watch.

_Filius had opened the cage and was currently holding the now two lumps of silver near the birds legs. A quiet transfiguration later, and the sliver had become vines that loosely wound their way around the legs of the bird. Picking up the bird until it was in the doorway of the cage, he cast the same spell the shopkeeper had, but he focused the spell onto the metal vines. He then sat the bird on Naudia's shoulder and tapped it two times with his wand. _

_There all done." He smiled up at the other. "Do you want to take the cage back?" _

_Naudia smiled at the bird that was singing merrily on her shoulder. "Yes, I would love to. What did you cast when you tapped it?"_

"_I set a periphery that it could fly in around you, and a setting so that you could leave it in one place, like your parlour, if you needed to."_

They walked back in to the shop. This time Minerva, Pomona and Severus moved quickly away from the door.

_The shopkeeper moved towards them as the came in. "Is there something wrong with the bird?" His eyes flickered to the cage and then to where it was sitting on her shoulder. His eyes widened. "How... how did you do that? It shouldn't be able to... the spells don't work unless..."_

_Naudia held the cage out. "I wanted to return the cage since I don't need it anymore."_

_He numbly took the cage from her while staring at the bird. "But how..." He looked down at the Filius. "How?"_

_A gleam came to the smaller man's eyes. "It has to do with what you attach the spell to. The metal of the cage is..." He stopped to glare at Naudia who had just cuffed him upside the head. "I was explaining."_

"_No." She glared at him, her hand held out to stop the flow of words. "It is summer and we are shopping. Remember the rules."_

_Filius sighed lightly and looked back at the shopkeeper. "You should be able to figure it out. Pay attention to the metals you use." He dodged another swipe before heading out the door. "I wasn't teaching. He asked a reasonable question and I was explaining."_

"_And the last time you explained something to someone while we were shopping you took five hours. That was the reason for the rules, remember?"_

_The others followed as they headed down the street. The memory slowly came to an end while the two were still debating the shopping rules. _

Minerva looked at Filius as she took a sip of her drink. "Not truly funny, but humorous."

Filius smiled. "I thought you would enjoy Naudia."

"The grade of metal dictates the spell type it can anchor. So, the small amount of silver was able anchor as much as the larger steel cage." Severus nodded to himself. "Basically the same as potions, different types of cauldrons work with different potions due to the grade of metal."

Pomona pushed a biscuit into Severus' hand. "We were supposed to be enjoying the interaction between Filius and Naudia, not answering Filius' question to the shopkeeper, who really should have already known that."

"Well with the amount of work that went into the body of the bird, there might be quite a bit of magic already laced into the structure. I can understand why he didn't place the anchoring spell on the bird itself." Minerva was contemplating another biscuit while the others considered her statement.

Filius was the one who answered. "That is why I made the silver loose. That way it was surrounding the bird, but not part of it. I hope he gets it right." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Severus continuing the list that he was writing for Pomona as he nibbled on his biscuit.

Retrieving his memory, he looked over to the Deputy Headmistress. "Your turn?"

She nodded, a smile wrapping its way onto her face.


	4. 4:Transfiguring a Drink to Share

_Chapter 4: Transfiguring a Drink to Share_

_AN: The Italics are the memory, the non italics are the ones watching the memories._

Minerva shook her head as she tapped the table in front of Severus. "You said you would give that to her tomorrow."

Black eyes glared at her before shifting over the others. "I'm almost done and I do not wish to forget anything that I saw. Give me another minute."

She nodded as she leaned towards the pensive. Thinking for a moment, she drew the two memories she wanted and then she dropped both of them into the pensive. Just as she looked up, she saw a piece of parchment being passed across the table. "This memory has two segments. I broke it up because it happens over two days." She looked at them briefly. "Shall we?" With that they fell into a pub somewhere in Scotland.

"_Minerva, how have you been, lass?" The barkeep leaned on the bar as he pushed a drink towards the blue robed lady sitting on a stool._

Pomona looked at the Head of Gryffindor who was currently standing near them. "A bar Minerva?"

"Of course, you don't think I hang out in tea houses did you?" The hazel eyes darted between the other Heads. Only Severus did not seem surprised. Shaking her head, she turned back to the scene.

"_You need that much alcohol? Really, lass, I thought you taught at a school for little ones, not a drinking club." The barkeep shook his head. _

Filius quirked an eyebrow at Minerva. "We drank that much last year?"

She shook her head. "Gregory is just exaggerating like he normally does."

_Minerva propped her elbows on the bar and took a sip from her cup. "I do work at a school full of teenagers. That in and of itself should explain the need for a good scotch. I also have a couple of friends who are helping me drain it."_

"_Ah, that explains it. You're helping the others survive the tortures of hormonal children. And what are you getting out of the deal. I have never known a McGonagall to give away a drink without receiving something for it."_

Minerva felt the eyes of her friends boring into her, waiting on her answer.

Severus smirked. That was so true. Minerva could never be convinced to share a bottle of her good scotch unless she was getting something out of the deal, too.

_Minerva sipped her drink as she contemplated what to say. "I am getting the best thing a drink can give." _

To the ones watching the memory, she sounded like she was quoting something or someone, and the grin on the barkeep's face made them sure of it. Before they could even ask, Minerva answered the question.

"That is Gregory's standard reason for being a barkeep. He states he is getting the best thing that drinking can provide, company." She shifted her eyes between each of them judging their reaction. With a grin, she tipped her head. "Now it is time to listen up."

_From somewhere behind Minerva a voice started getting louder.  
_

"_I'm telling you, Samuel, no-one... and I mean no-one can do that."_

"_Really Donald, you never know. Someone might be able to. Dumbledore might."_

The watchers saw memory Minerva turn slowly until she was watching two men at a table in the middle of the room. One was tapping a piece of parchment. All three of them recognize the assessing look that was ran over them. The Deputy Headmistress was judging the potential danger presented by them. What was the likelihood of a fight breaking out?

_Donald sneered. "Even Dumbledore can't do everything. And even if he could do this, he is not here. I would bet anything that there is not one person here who could do it."_

_Samuel scoffed lightly. "Even I can transfigure the parchment into a cloak."_

_Minerva focused a bit more sharply on the two men_.

Severus could see that she was now watching to see if she was going to have to repair a transfiguration mistake. Filius eyes were glowing as he waited to see what happened next. Pomona was just shaking her head. She had learned a long time ago to never dare a Gryffindor.

_Donald scowled at the smaller man. "Not just any cloak. A thick wool cloak, with a fur lining, and a fancy clasp. And it has to last for at least twenty four hours. Not one person here," The man swung his arm about taking in the entire room. "can do that. I'd bet anything that they asked for on it."_

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Gregory lean close to the memory Minerva's ear and whisper. Narrowing his eyes, he caught the words. _"Go on lass. I know you teach transfiguration in that school of yours. You could get your alcohol for one act of magic if you took him up on it." _

Pomona was not at all surprised when the memory Minerva approached the table.

_Minerva stopped next to the table taking one more moment to assess the situation before letting a small grin slip onto her face. "You'll bet anything?"_

_The dark blue eyes looked her up and down, taking in the blue robe and her hair in a tight bun. "Aye, anything. But do you know what you have to do to win that, lass?"_

_Minerva's fingers brushed over the surface of the surprisingly fine piece of parchment. "I must transfigure this parchment, right?"_

"_Aye, into as fancy a cloak as you can imagine. But that's not all. It must still be usable twenty four hours later." He leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers. "Do you honestly think you can do that?"_

_Minerva did not back up as he invaded her space. Instead she brushed her fingers over the parchment once again, envisioning a cloak that she could make. She then met his eyes. "If I succeed you are to give me five hogsheads of one hundred year old scotch from your family's cellar, Donald Gilcomston. _

_Donald sat back and studied the witch standing before him. _

Filius tipped his head up as he looked at Minerva. "Okay, who are the Gilcomstons and how much is a hogshead again?"

"The Gilcomstons opened one of the first scotch distilleries, and a hogshead is about fifty four gallons. I knew his family would have what I asked for on stock, but it was worth an outrageous amount." She flashed them a conspiratorial smile. "He did say anything."

Severus tapped his fingers together as he took a moment to calculate how much scotch Minerva had access to. He already knew that she won, the bet was too easy for her. _'Two Hundred and Seventy gallons of the good scotch. She has enough to supply us for a couple of years.' _He focused on the memory. He didn't want to miss the Deputy Headmistress winning that much scotch.

_Everyone in the bar seemed to be waiting for Donald's answer. _

"_That's a lot of whisky, lass. What will you do with it all?"_

"_Store it, drink it, share it. What I do with it doesn't matter if I win it, true?" _

The ingenious expression that was on memory Minerva's face was one that not one of the Heads had ever seen before.

_Donald nodded. "True enough. Then five hogsheads of one hundred year old scotch if you can transfigure this piece of parchment into a fancy wool cloak and it stay usable for twenty four hours."_

_Minerva picked up the parchment and studied it to be sure there were no spells attached to it. She had taught school too long not to check. Finally she looked back at Donald. "The cloak remains here under Gregory's watchful eye. That way no one can tamper with it." When he nodded in agreement, she looked back at the barkeep._

"_Aye, lass, I'll watch it." Gregory was doing his best not to be give her away with an ear splitting grin._

_Donald tapped his fingers on the table for a moment. "And what do I get if you do not succeed?"_

_Minerva raised one eyebrow. "The proof that you were right, but if you insist on a reward, I could send you a peck of Albus Dumbledore's lemon drops if that would make it even."_

"_And how would you, lass, get a peck of his lemon drops?" The dark blue eyes narrowed on her._

Pomona turned to Minerva. "I think I know. Just accept one every time he offers and put it into a jar until you have two gallons and then mail it off."

Minerva flashed a smile. "I was going to get all of us to do that. I would have the peck before school started, and I wouldn't be the only one that Albus thought was eating them. Besides, you all would be enjoying the scotch."

All of them nodded in agreement, but Severus was the only one to voice what they were all thinking. "Only for the scotch though. That would be the only reason."

_Minerva raised her eyes, doing her best Weasley twins innocent impression. "I would write and ask him."_

Minerva watched as the other Heads shuddered at the memories her expression created.

_Samuel nudged Donald. "You have to accept it without her offering anything. You stated the bases of the bet before she even walked over here."_

_Donald sighed. "You're right." He looked back at the witch who was taking him up on a rashly stated bet. "Well then lass, do you accept the bet?"_

_Minerva drew her wand as her response. Setting the parchment on the table, she looked back up at Donald. "Do you have a preferred color and fur type."_

"_My tartan pattern and fox fur." _

_With a casual flick of her wand, the cloak was now resting on the table. The gasps were heard from everywhere in the bar. Gregory walked over and picked it up, showing it off to everyone. He then flung it over his shoulders and walked back behind the bar._

_Donald looked at the cloak and then the witch. With a nod he left the bar. He trusted Gregory to not let anyone tamper with this bet._

Severus watched him walk out the bar. "I would have put some sort of monitoring system on it." The others just chuckled at him.

The memory dissolved and then reformed. They were back in the bar. Gregory was still wearing the cloak. Everyone who had been there yesterday was back.

_Minerva gestured to Donald. "You can check the cloak yourself if you wish."_

_The man took the cloak and let the feel of the wool caress his fingers. The clasp was made out of a intricately knotted brass. The fur slid through his fingers. Swinging it over his shoulders, he discovered it fit him perfectly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the script for the hogsheads. "Here you go, lass. You won it fair and square." He stopped as he glanced at the top line of the script where the recipient's name went. "I'm sorry, lass. What is your name?" He pulled out a quill and an inkpot. _

"_I'm Minerva McGonagall." As her name was said you could have heard a pin drop. _

Pomona looked around the room. "Surely there are a few Hogwarts graduates here. They had to recognize you."

Minerva grinned. "There were a few, but they were keeping quiet. A majority of this group went to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang or had graduated before I started teaching."

_Donald wrote out her name across the top of the script. "So, I hear you teach. What is you subject and where do you teach at?"_

"_I teach transfigurations at Hogwarts." She barely kept from smirking at him._

_The man shook his head. "And since you teach the subject, you can tell me how long I am going to have this fine cloak?"_

"_I permanently transfigured it for you. It should not change back." _

_The grins around the bar had him grinning, too. She had won alright._

The memory faded and they ended up in their seats. It was Filius that asked the question this time. "Permanent? That took a bit of power to do."

Minerva smiled. "It was worth the five hogsheads."

The rest nodded in agreement. It certainly was.


	5. 5:Potion Making for Advanced Dunderheads

_Chapter 5: Potion Making for Advanced Dunderheads_

_AN: Italics is the memory, non-italics is the present._

"Okay, Severus, it is your turn." Filius looked towards the reason they could enjoy their alcohol right now and not still be working. No matter what the man said, they _knew_ he was the reason they had a working afternoon instead of a mind numbing one.

Severus looked at the other three. This was the moment he was dreading. He honestly could not think of a memory that was humorous from this summer. "I can't think of one. I didn't go shopping with a friend, and I am positive that you don't want to see anything from the potion convention. It was really interesting to me, but I think it would be like me sitting through a transfiguration conference... You would understand about one speaker in four."

"Didn't you have a guild meeting you had to go to at the beginning of summer?" Pomona frowned slightly, try to dredge up a memory of the end of last school year that wasn't related to mandrakes.

"Yes...I have to go every year as a member of the guild." His eyes narrowed before he nodded his head. "I have one but I'm not sure it is up to the standards that you all showed. But at least it is related."

With that he pulled a silvery thread from his head and dropped it into the bowl. The others reached out to go in, but they noticed that Severus finished his drink before reaching out.

They fell into a small dusty room lined with shelves and cubbyholes filled with scrolls and ancient books. There was a small desk lit by a lamp that provided a warm glow amidst the low ambient lighting of the room itself. None of the other three were surprised to see Severus scratching down notes quickly from a series of scrolls that were spread out on the desk. There was a small mountain of books stacked up on the floor all about the desk. By the number of empty inkpots and worn quills, they surmised that he had been there for quite some time.

"This is what you do when you are at the guild meetings?" Minerva looked over at Severus who was currently wandering over to the shelves to look at the titles, while his memory self was absorbed in his work.

"Minerva, the less I have to deal with people the week after school, the better it is for everyone. Plus, I am going to finish reading and researching the entire wealth locked in here as soon as I can." His eyes never left the shelves.

Pomona looked about trying to figure out why he chose this memory.

_A door on the far side of the room opened and Severus looked up at the noise. No one normally bothered him once he was ensconced in the records room. __That might have a bit to do with the fact that he never told anyone where he was._ _ He straightened up in the seat the quill resting in his hand, ready to continue what he was writing at any moment. _

"_Master Snape, there you are. I have been looking for you most of the morning." A short man about the age of McGonagall walked over to the desk._

"Master Tidwell." Severus glared lightly at the other man as he waited to hear what he needed. 

"_The other Masters and I have agreed that it is your year to demonstrate for the apprentices." Master Tidwell glanced at the stack of papers on the desk. "After the time with them, you can come back to your research."_

"_I see no reason why I should demonstrate for them. They are quite capable of seeing what to do from one of the other Masters." Severus looked back down at the paper he was currently reading. _

_Tidwell leaned so that he was blocking the light. "Master Snape. This is not a request. The guild has decide that they need to see that age doesn't matter when dealing with rank. You are the only Master that can do that here. You are eminently suitable for this job."_

_Black eyes narrowed on the other Master. "Give me fifteen more minutes to complete the section I am currently reading." The tone conveyed that he was not pleased and was only doing this under orders. _

_Tidwell nodded and settled back against one of the shelves to wait. _

"Is he really going to stand there for fifteen minutes? Does he have a death wish?" Pomona looked over to where Severus was standing.

"No, he knows that I actually respect him. He is about the only one in the guild who would dare interrupt me like he is doing." Severus shook his head slightly as he thought about the mad genius that was lurking in Tidwell's head. It didn't stop him from getting him back later though. By the end of the conference he had been sporting Weasley red hair instead of his normal sandy brown.

"What was that about rank? And why is the trim on his robe a different color than yours?" Minerva glanced between the bright red on Tidwell's robe and the dark red on Severus'.

Severus glanced at the red on his robe and did his best not to grimace at the color. He was happy he had left the lighter reds behind him. Especially the Gryffindor red that was the last one he had. "The color indicates the rank you hold in the guild. White is a basic apprentice, the fainter blush of pink is an upper level apprentice, a solid pink is journeyman. You earn the right to wear a true red when you gain your Mastery. Then as you climb the ranks the darker the red becomes."

Filius' gaze flickered between the dark red of Severus' and the bright red of Tidwell's. That meant that Severus was a higher rank. "What is the highest rank?"

Severus let a small smile slip onto his face. "So red that it appears black when you first look at it. It is the color of a tenth rank Potions Master." It was obvious that he was striving for that level.

"What rank are you?" This was the first time Pomona had heard of ranks. No wonder he had no problem understanding that there were Masters of different calibers.

Severus' eyes flicked to his robe in the memory and back to them, a smirk took the place of his smile. "I am an eighth rank."

"So you'll be a tenth rank before we know it." Pomona settled back on her heels as she watched the memory Severus taking notes.

"The last tenth rank was Salazar Slytherin."

The other three heads looked at him in surprise. "What is the current highest rank alive?" It was Minerva that asked.

"Eighth, and there are currently fifty five of us in the world." He decide to refrain from mentioning that the youngest after him was just over ninety.

They watched as memory Severus cleaned up his quill. He then tucked it and his now stoppered inkpot into his robe pocket. He shrunk and stowed away his parchments as Tidwell straightened up from his prop.

"_All ready then, Master Snape?" _

_Severus shot him a look that showed his opinion of the entire adventure before he strode out of the door, his robe billowing about him. _

_Tidwell looked a bit impressed. "You need to take an apprentice." _

_The look he got caused him to pause for just a moment. The venom could have almost been bottled. "No really, you don't know what you're missing. They inspire you to strive to do even better." He paused for a moment. "Not that you need that. But they make you think of things in a different way."_

_When they reached a door, Severus turned to the other man. His answer was a hiss that was barely understandable. "I do not need an apprentice."_

"Don't they know that you teach?" It was Filius that asked as Tidwell looked taken a back.

"Some do. I don't make a habit of sharing that, and they don't normally ask." Severus folded his arms and raised an eyebrow daring them to challenge him.

The others just smiled and shook their heads. The other Masters had no clue that he actually had numerous apprentices. They just didn't go by that title.

_Severus swept through the door. He looked over the rows of desks that were lining the room. Each one of them held an apprentice __or a low level journeyman_ _of different Masters. There were a few lower rank Masters in the room; all of them were third and below. There was a chalkboard behind a large demonstration table and a shelf that held equipment that was there for the apprentices to use. A frown fell on his face as he saw how some of the apprentices were preparing their ingredients._

Severus glanced at the confused looks on the others faces and decided to explain what was going on. "It is customary for a high ranked Master to come into the practice room and demonstrate a potion so that they can study the skill that the Master exhibits. Typically that Master chooses a potion that the apprentice has no chance in creating for several years."

"What is the frown for?" Minerva looked about the room trying to identify what the problem was.

"The ones in the front row are slicing their boomslang with worse technique than my sixth years."

Instead of commenting on the fact that he only accepted Outstanding students, they opted to watch what was going to happen next. They were ready for a Snape's potions class.

Severus lead the others back towards the tables where the three Hogwarts graduates were. He smirked as he watched them quickly straighten out their tables before flipping the journals to a clean page and had their quills ready. The others were still mutilating their ingredients.

_Severus strode to the front of the room. In the back corner he spotted three familiar faces. _

_Gary Terrent nudged one of the other apprentices. "You need to stop. Snape just came in." _

_"Who?" The brown haired boy looked up to the front of the room, his eyes widening when he spotted the Master that was heading for the demonstration table. _

"_Don't worry about who, just pay attention Simon." He focused on the front as Severus started speaking._

"_I was called out of my research to demonstrate a potion for you. One that you are to observe carefully, paying attention to the methods that are used to take it as close to perfection as possible . If you find that your time is more valuable than mine..." His tone left no doubt that he did not think it was. ".. then leave. The door is not barred." _

_A medium level glare raked across the room, resting on the apprentices that were still preparing ingredients. He waited until the last one stopped before continuing. "Now I could show you a potion that would allow you to breath underwater without the affects of gillyweed, or even one that would allow you to restore selective obliviated memories,"_

Minerva watched as the Masters that were against the wall near her perk up at that. "Is that last potion one of your inventions, Severus? They don't seem to have heard of it."

Severus glanced to see where she was looking. The other Masters looked very intrigued. "I submitted it last year for patenting. They must not have read the list." He refrained from mentioning that it was the next to the last submission he needed to achieve his ninth rank. After that he would have to take a written test and brew a selection of his submissions in the presence of the grading council. He was hoping to achieve that at the end of two summers from now.

"_but instead I decided to show you one that you have a chance in brewing. It shall be completed before you leave out of here today, as I believe it is a waste of my time if you do not get to observe all the stages of brewing. And as apprentices, I expect you to know how to observe properly." With a practiced flip of his wrist his wand was in his hand and the potion appeared on the board. "You should be able to identify the potion from the ingredients listed." _

_He walked away from the board towards the shelves that held the equipment. He carried a scale, knife and four cauldrons with their stands to the table. He then headed for the ingredients closet._

"You can tell who has had you before." Pomona grin was evident in her tone. "They've already started copying what you wrote on the board. There are a few others, but they look to be journeymen by their color."

Minerva snorted as Mr. Terrent leaned over to Simon and whispered for him to start writing. Severus certainly had them well trained.

"_Why should I write it down? I mean he is just going to show us a potion that there is no way for us to do, that is what they always do. And they always say that we can achieve it if we try hard enough."_

"_Simon... Snape said we could do it. That means, as long as we are careful, pay close attention, and practice a bit, we can. He never tells a lie about potions. If anything he is blatantly and bluntly honest." Alan Desmond didn't look at the other as he spoke, his eyes were flicking from the board and his journal as he copied the recipe leaving space to take notes._

"After seven years of being your student, it is good to hear that they finally understand you a bit." Filius grinned. "You are extremely blunt when it comes to potions."

Severus just smirked.

_Severus emerged carrying a number of vials and a small bag. He arranged the ingredients onto table and set the cauldrons safely away from the edge after looking them over carefully. He looked back out to the collection of apprentices. "Was anyone able to identify the potion that I am about to create for you?"_

_The room was silent until one of them raised their hand. "Yes, Miss Cartwright?"_

"_I think it is a hangover potion, sir. All the ingredients but the salt are correct, even though the preparation of some of them are different."_

_Severus smirked in her direction. "And you do not think that the difference in preparation and the addition of salt would change the potion?"_

_"It should, but you asked for the type of potion based off the ingredients, not the preparation, and salt would not change the potion to a different one." She sounded a bit uncertain but had pressed through with her answer._

"Pomona you should be quite proud of her. She is one of the few Hufflepuffs that have withstood me all the years she was here." Severus looked at the nervous continence of the girl. Even uncertain she remembered his NEWT class rule. Don't answer without having a reason behind what you say, and be prepared to speak it.

"I am," was Pomona's only response.

"You aren't really going to show them how to brew a hangover potion are you?" Minerva grinned when he nodded yes. "The other Masters don't look too pleased."

"Then they should have done their own demonstration." There was just enough bite to his answer to show that he still wasn't happy about this.

_Gary Terrent shot his hand up. "Professor Snape, sir? The hangover potion would be great to learn, and undoubtable useful. But could you instead show us how to make your burn paste? It would be just as useful."_

_Dark eyes bore into the eyes of the apprentice. "Mr. Terrent are you still having problems remembering that fire makes cauldrons hot?" The apprentice's eyes dropped as he fiddled with his knife and gave a jerky nod of his head. "I want you to think for a moment, as I do know you have that ability, and tell me why I can not demonstrate a paste to you."_

_The apprentice's head lifted up and stared at the board behind Severus. His eyes widened as he babbled out the answer. "A paste has to sit, typically for at least twenty four hours, and this is to be completed before the end of practice. Sorry, sir."_

"_That is correct Mr. Terrent. So, I shall be brewing the potion that Miss Cartwright named correctly. Do see me after cl... practice Mr. Terrent to help with your problem."_

_Only three apprentices caught his almost slip._

Minerva spun about and placed her hands on her hips. "You going to give him the burn paste after humiliating him like that in front of everyone, right."

"I did, and even more than that, too. I gave him the charms to put on his gloves to help with it as well." He refused to face the protective Head of House. Even though Terrent was no longer in Gryffindor, Minerva would still tear him apart to protect one of hers.

She nodded tightly at him and the turned to watch what happened next.

_Picking up the knife, Severus held it up and studied its edge. Pulling out his wand, he cast a sharpening spell on it and then sat it carefully down so as not to destroy the new edge. _

_Simon turned slowly to Gary. "He's fast with his wand. Did you see how fast he pulled that out?" _

_The three Hogwarts graduates looked at him for a moment, indecision written on their faces before they just nodded in agreement._

_The boy next to Simon started whining quietly. "What is he doing? Can't he get started already?"_

_Desmond leaned over, all the while keeping his eyes on Snape. "He is teaching us that we should always check our equipment. Especially if it is not __**ours**__. He pulled those off the apprentice shelf, so he is making sure that they are good."_

_Simon broke in as he watched Severus pull a standard weight out of his robe pocket and place it on the scale. "Does he always carry standard weights with him?"_

_The other three just shrugged._

"Do you?" Minerva looked over at him.

Severus slipped a hand into his robe pocket and pulled one out. "Yes. I just move it from robe to robe. With the scales the students come in with, it is always better to have one to check them."

"What else do you carry with you?" She held up a hand, forestalling his answer. "Never mind. I don't want the answer to that."

Severus leaned forwards with an evil glint in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

The other three nodded emphatically as they answered with a resounding yes. There were just somethings you should never know.

_Once he had adjusted the scale, Severus lit the fires below the three smaller cauldrons and then added water to them. He measured the salt and added it to the middle cauldron making sure every single bit ended up in the liquid. He then measured out another pile of salt. Eying it suspiciously, he slid it off the scale and placed the standard weight back on it. He adjusted the scale again and reweighed the salt. After correcting the amount he added it to the third cauldron. As the water heated, he placed the scales on the damaged shelf and picked another set. After checking it's validity, he continued to prep his ingredients in silence. _

Severus looked at his companions. "This is going to be a bit boring for you, I'm sure, but there is no way to speed up the memory that I know of." He turned a hopeful eye to the Head of Ravenclaw. The hope left when Filius just shook his head. They watched and paced the room observing the apprentices and the Masters while Severus brewed.

_Severus dropped the fourth ingredient into the third cauldron. As he had prepared them he had lined them up in the order they were to be used into a row for each cauldron. A faint scraping caught his ear and a quick glance told him what he needed to know._

"_Apprentice third row, second desk from my left, you may leave as your time is more valuable than mine." The apprentices jumped at the silky voice that cut through the silence. _

_The apprentice in question looked up from where he had been cutting, his eyes widening. A dark glare pinned him down before the Master continued in a deadly tone. "I said leave." The apprentice glanced over towards that group of Masters that lined the wall. He blanched at the look his was giving him and scrambled to gather his stuff and fled out the door._

_The rest of the room was silent as he finished his brewing in the smaller cauldrons. He immediately shifted the wood that was heating the three cauldrons under the large one. _

_Simon leaned over to the person he was beginning to think as an expert on reading people. "Why did he do that? There is plenty of wood over there."_

_Olivia Cartwright leaned in instead to answer his question as Terrent was busy writing. "Waste not, want not. Besides it was already lit, so the cauldron would heat up faster."_

_Making sure his dragonhide gloves were on securely, Severus poured a bit of the first cauldron into the large one, and then added half of the other two. _

"_I want his gloves. I need to ask him where he got them from. He can do anything with them."_

Standing near Terrent let Severus finally understand what they boy had mumbled. Smirking, he knew that giving the boy those spells was a good thing.

_After stirring clockwise three times, he added the rest of the first cauldron, stirred four more times, and the added the last of the others. A few more stirs, he set the rod down on its rest. Picking up the knife, he cleaned the blade. He also cleaned the scales before he placed them both back on the shelves. He glanced into the large cauldron before he carried the smaller three and their stirring rods over to the sink, poured a bit of cleaner into them and scrubbed them. Setting them aside to dry, he turned to check on the bubbling solution and banished the flames before bottling the potion into individual vials. A flick of his wand sent a vial to each apprentice's desk. He slipped two into his own pocket. _

"_The demonstration is done. You should have gathered enough information to brew this successfully on your ..." He was cut by an almost journeyman sitting in the front._

"_Some of us already knew how to brew a hangover potion. And this," the boy picked up the vial on his desk. "Is useless now. Everyone knows that you can't bottle it until it has set in the cauldron it was made in for twenty hours." The apprentice threw the Master a scathing look ignoring the widening eyes of the Masters that were lined against the wall. "You should have just shown us how to make the burn paste, since it would have taken the same amount of time, and you were aware of the length of time..." His mouth kept moving but words were not leaving it._

Pomona pointed to Olivia. "She cast a silencing spell on him. And from the look on your face, saved his life, or years worth of detentions." She glanced about at the outraged Masters faces, one which looked decidedly scared. "Or whatever the equivalent is in the guild." She gestured over to the scared looking man. "Is that his Master?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure, I didn't bother to look into the matter." He smirked over at Miss Cartwright. "It is nice to know who silenced him."

Minerva widened her eyes in mock surprise. "You didn't know?"

Severus snorted. "I was in the middle of resisting hexing another Master's apprentice and debating if he was worth verbally eviscerating."

A grin danced on Filius face. "You need more practice."

_Severus looked about to see if he could find out who cast the spell. Not seeing the caster, he spun about on his heel and headed for the door. It was Tidwell who stopped him there and in a low whisper reminded him that he had to remain for another two hours. Glaring down at the man, he plotted his downfall before striding back to the front table._

"_As I stated at the beginning of this demonstration, which I am not in the habit of repeating myself, the potion is ready for use. It took a total of forty minutes to brew this particular potion compared to the almost twenty one hours necessary for the typical hangover cure." His eyes swept the room. "If you do not trust the one you have received, I am sure that one of the other apprentices might be willing to take it from you." His eyes rested briefly on the three whose names he knew. His face then fell into its habitual scowl as he began pacing through the desks._

"_He is making me nervous. How does he expect us to work while he is striding around?" Simon followed Master Snape with nervous eyes, his hand twitching on the knife._

"_Take a deep breath and remember that he is here to help you." Gary watched as Snape came closer. _

_Severus strode over to Gary Terrent's desk. If he was going to have to watch this group, then he was going to minimize the accidents that could occur. "Your gloves, Mr. Terrent."_

"_Sir?..." The apprentices eyes widened as the glare narrowed on him. He quickly pushed his gloves across the table. "Yes, Professor."_

_Severus flicked his wand over the gloves five times before he handed them back and silently requested the potions journal. He scanned the observation entry with a decided quirk to his mouth before he turned the page and, after pulling a quill and inkpot from his pocket, jotted down a recipe from memory and five spells on the blank page. __Then, pulling a small container from his pocket, he set it near the journal._ _Three of them recognized it instantly. It was the burn paste. As he strode away he caught the others leaning in a bit and heard Desmond mutter barely under his breath. "I am copying that page from your journal later, Mate."_

"What did you write in there?" Minerva was craning over Alan Desmond's shoulder to see what written.

"A burn paste recipe. A slightly different variation than the one I typically brew, but stronger than the ones I'm sure he has discovered, and he has a much better chance to brew this one correctly. I also left five spells for glove protection that I cast on his: Heat, acid, ripping, cutting, and slip resistance." He smirked at them gaping at him. "I am not above making Hogwarts' graduates look better."

Their laughter faded when they spotted Severus striding across the room purposefully. Focusing on the scene that was occurring, they almost missed hearing Severus' mumble. "Too many students doing too many things."

"_Apprentice, stop." Severus blocked the small pile of scarab shells from going near the cauldron. A quick glance at the surface told him all he needed to know. _

_The light brown eyed girl looked up at his scowling face, uncertainty written on hers. "It is the next right ingredient." Her statement sounded like a question. _

_Instead of responding, Severus pulled out his standard and checked her scale. As he adjusted it, he flicked his eyes about the room before settling on her. "You should always check your equipment before you use it. You are... fortunate that this is the first weighed ingredient in the skin cleansing potion." He picked up his standard and started walking through the desks randomly testing scales. _

Pomona leaned over to Minerva. "Why is everyone looking surprised? Even the Masters over there are. All he did was identify a potion and stop an accident."

Filius wandered over to where the Masters were standing. "I think it was his response time, not that identification."

Severus crossed his arm and glared at the other Masters. "Tidwell asked me later how did I know that her scale was off, what potion she was making and how did I know the stage that she was in."

Minerva patted his crossed arms. "Eleven years of practice. Eleven years."

Simon's babbling brought their attention back to the scene.

"_He is testing scales?" Simon watched the Master almost fearfully as he strode through the desk, randomly testing the validity of the scales, and periodically checking the sharpness of the knives. _

"_You didn't check yours before you started? He did make a big deal out of doing so at the beginning of his demonstration." This time the answer came from the apprentice that had whined about that very thing earlier. _

_Severus purposefully checked the three Hogwarts graduates as well as Simon's and the other apprentice's scales as they had been talking. As he was removing his standard from the unnamed apprentice's scale he caught sight of a boiling cauldron on the front row. Out of shear habit he cast his normal containment spell that doubled as a shielding spell. Before the spell had fully cast, he was storming towards the front, completely in school mode now._

"_Umm-m what's your name... Did you see him draw his wand?" Simon was still staring after the man. _

"_Name's Zachary, and … no...I didn't. He did draw it right? He didn't cast that wandlessly did he?" He turned to look at the three that seemed to be an expert on this unknown high ranked Master._

_It was Desmond who shook his head. "He drew it. Professor Snape is just fast, like Simon said."_

"_Lots of practice with dunderheads." Terrent grinned and focused on the front to see if the were about to be treated to a Snape tirade. _

"_Are you really an apprentice?" The dark silky voice hissed the barely heard question. The volume of his voice increased, but the tone didn't change as he continued. "Did you pass your NEWTs? Your OWLs?" He slid his eyes over the now furiously boiling cauldron. "Evanesco." _

_The substance in the cauldron vanished before it could melt its container. He held the containment shield up a bit longer. "Eyes of frog and eyes of newts are two very different substances, as I am sure, if you tried to use the substance that resided under that hair, you will remember. And their affects are very different in any potion, but especially in any that influences the eyes, such as the eye color changing one that you were poorly attempting to make." _

_A small gesture of his wand brought down the containment field. "You shall scrub the cauldron and while you are doing it, you shall be listing the physical and magical differences between the two ingredients and naming how they affect at least three potions. The potion's name shall be stated as well as the effect of frogs eyes first and then newt eyes second. These will be said out loud. The cauldron shall be scrubbed without the benefit of magic, and you shall not use the cauldron cleaning soap, but the one used to clean the knives." He leaned back from the desk, waiting for the apprentice to move. _

"There has to be a reason you specified the soap, isn't there?" Pomona leaned against the wall they were near as she watched the scene unfolding.

"The ingredients would react together with the residue that was left in the cauldron. The end result would have finished what he had already began."

_The apprentice glanced over at his Master who was leaning against the wall, waiting to see if he would contradict the man standing before him. When his Master didn't move to help, he reached over to grab the cauldron and storm theatrically to the sink. His hand was caught in a iron like grip._

"_Are you a complete dunderhead?" The black eyes caught and held the light blue ones that were narrowing in anger._

_The apprentice tried to jerk his hand out of the Master's grip. "I am trying to do what you said to do."_

_Severus flicked a couple of drops of water out of his wand and onto the surface of the cauldron. __They sputtered and hissed. __"Fire makes a cauldron hot, imbecile." He released the hand that he was holding. "Do try not to burn yourself. And do not cast a levitation spell on the cauldron." He pushed a pair of heat resistant gloves towards the idiot. _

_Grabbing the gloves, he shoved his hands into them and then stormed over to the sink. Setting in down, he began to clean it, making sure he used the specified cleaner. _

_Severus skimmed his eyes over the room, waiting. He didn't hear the boy talking. "Start talking, apprentice."_

_With a huff, he started._

_Three sets of eyes met in the back of the room. Olivia's eyes were wide as she met the others. "He has detention."_

_Terrent snorted. "Deserved it after that show. He is bloody luck that he isn't having to scrub all our cauldrons."_

"_And writing lines." Olivia shook her head as she listened to the mistakes the apprentice was making. "No wonder he had messed up the ingredients." She mumbled that as low as she could, the last thing she needed was an irate Snape after her._

"_Lines for that? No, he would be preparing ingredients after he finished the cauldron. Snape was nothing but efficient when it came to detentions. If he could, you would learn what you had forgotten or messed up in class." Desmond let a purely Slytherin smirk cross his face. It was strange to see it on a Ravenclaw._

"_Typically in the least pleasant way possible." Was all that Terrent had a chance to add before Zach broke in._

"_You three seem to know him well, and what is with calling Master...Snape, I think you called him, Professor." Simon perked up at that question and both of them looked at the other three._

_It was Terrent who answered for them."That is what he is. Or rather was. For seven years Professor Snape taught us Potions. That..." He gestured to the front of the room. "..is a rather typical experience, but the apprentice would be doing that work in detention instead of now."_

_Simon looked at him wide eyed. "That is too scary to think about, Mate. I could not imagine coming to class with him as a teacher."_

_Terrent smirked. "I felt safer there than I do in Master Ingles' lab. Sometimes I swear he wants to see how an explosion is going to happen."_

The memory faded out slowly and they ended up in their seats. Severus refilled his glass and took a long drink. "As I said, nothing as entertaining as any of yours. But you did get to see the making of the cure we all enjoy."

Filius looked at him with a long considering look. "What did the other Masters say after that?"

Severus looked at him for a long moment before answering. "Three quarters of them want me permanently in the room to supervise the practice session. The others wants me as far from their apprentices as possible. I agreed with the second group. Tidwell did come hunt me down later to find out how I knew what to do so quickly and insist once again that I need to take on at least one apprentice."

"Did you tell him that you teach?" Pomona passed him a chocolate biscuit while she asked.

"I did. He looked flabbergasted. He was sure I dealt strictly with research. He then asked me who I would recommend to him as an apprentice."

The others laughed. "I take it he then stopped pushing for you to take on one yourself?" Minerva grinned as she topped off her glass.

Severus nodded. "And also refused to tell anyone where I was working at. The other Masters tried for the rest of the week to get me back into that room." He finished off the last of his cup and stood up. "It was nice to have someone to watch out for me. That is why I only turned his hair red instead of what I had originally planned for him." With that he turned to the door. "Good night. I have to be up early to finish the inventory. That Auror might be feeling better and trap us again." Sometimes Poppy was too good.

With a sigh, the rest of them scooped up their contribution, the potion, and headed out.


	6. 6: The First Week Wrap Up

_An: First I need to apologize for the wait on this one. I just couldn't come up with what I wanted in a linear fashion. No excuse, I know. Now, for all those who have not figured it out already, this Universe is being continued in one shots when they come to me.  
_

_This is not betaed. If you see any glaring mistakes, pm me and let me know. Thanks, Ree_

_The First Week Wrap Up_

Severus sank into the his seat around Filius' table. Three potions were already set out next to the glasses and the tin of biscuits. For once, he and Pomona were there before Minerva. The first week had rushed by them, and this was the first time the Heads had a chance to escape the demands of their position. Between classes, students, other teachers, Albus and the dementors, they had been run ragged.

Leaning back in his seat, Severus patiently waited. His mind took him back to the morning after their last meeting. Poppy had presented him a list of potions at breakfast. He had raised an eyebrow at three very unnecessary complex ones that the Mediwitch had been asking him to make for the last year. A hard look from Poppy let him know that it was his payment for her care of the Auror. When he agreed to brew the entire list, she had told Albus that the Auror would not be well enough to continue his meeting for another two days. _'She charged me a potion for each day of freedom. I do wonder why she wants them.'_

The opening of the door caught his attention. As Minerva crossed the room and dropped wearily into her seat, three sets of eyes took in the droop of her shoulders.

"What was it this time?" Filius searched the tired face looking for a clue about the meeting with Albus.

Minerva set the scotch on the table after pouring herself a glass. "The dementors. They are restless. Albus is worried that Black will be able to sneak onto the grounds even with them posted at the entrances."

Severus contemplated the resigned expressions on the others faces. "What does Lupin say?"

Minerva studied Severus' face for just a moment before accepting the question at face value. "Nothing."

It was Pomona that humphed at that. "He was the man's best friend their entire school career, he should have an opinion."

Severus nodded while he put a silver memory into the pensive before he met their surprised expressions. "We are here to relax. And I, for one, do not find this discussion relaxing. Lupin isn't talking. That is not surprising to me. He never did when they were in school and he was in a position of power then as well. The dementors are a fact of this year, one that we cannot change and just have to get the students through. We are already keeping chocolate close at hand and I have filled the infirmary with calming drafts and sleeping draughts. We all can cast a _Patronus _if the need arises. So, we shall move on and keep doing what we need to do."

Filius nodded. There was nothing else that they could do at that moment. "Shall we?"

Their glasses were set on the table as they reached for the pensive.

After a quick fall, the looked about, taking in the Potions classroom as first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs came through the door.

What caught their attention was the pair that settled at one of the back tables. They were from different houses.

"Do they have a choice to sit where they want? You classes are always divided by house." Minerva looked about the room, trying to see if there any other mixed groups while she waited to hear Severus' answer.

"They can choose their own seats. They normally choose to sit by house." Severus moved so that he could watch one of the Ravenclaws that had showed a lot of potential this week a bit closer.

"So, they stick together in defense against the scariest teacher in the school." Pomona grinned at the Slytherin Head.

Severus smirked. "Yes, they do." He nodded towards the unusual pair. "They are the reason I wanted you to watch this."

The Heads moved closer to the pair.

"_Brian, you need to slice that thinner." The dark haired Ravenclaw glared at the shorter blond Hufflepuff._

"_I know, but this knife isn't sharp enough. Did you being a sharpener with you, Rach?" Brian examined the edge of the knife carefully before shaking his head. _

_Rach sighed and pulled a whetstone out of her bag. "Honestly..."_

_A tentative smile was flashed over to her as Brian picked up the stone. He then dipped a finger into the cauldron to get enough water to wet the stone and started sharpening the knife. "Are you liking it in Ravenclaw? I hear that they love books there."_

_Rach crushed an ingredient in the mortar as she answered. "It is okay. Why aren't you there? You love books and knowledge more that I do."_

The four Heads could hear the disappointment evident in her tone.

Minerva caught Filius' attention. "Miss Andrews is doing well in Ravenclaw. She is up there with the leaders of that class."

Pomona nodded. "In my class, tool. Mr. Punkin is as well."

"_I don't know why." Brian's voice was tight with frustration as he set the whetstone to the side and wiped the knife edge dry. He then proceed to cut the thick slices thinner. "When the hat told me Hufflepuff, I told it that it was wrong. When it wouldn't listen, I begged and pleaded to be put into Ravenclaw. I tried to explain that I needed to be with you."_

_Rach sighed as she carefully scattered the slices into the boiling water. "If it hadn't already pegged you as a Hufflepuff, it would have then. Loyalty and the needed to stick by someone no matter what. You should have showed it your study." A smile flickered onto her face._

_Brian laughed softly as he stirred the cauldron. "That is the first time you have called it by its name."_

"_That is because we are at school now. To call it the Endless source of Written Words just wouldn't be understood."_

"_I tried. When I put the hat on, I was thinking of researching its abilities." Brian sighed as he jotted a quick note on a parchment that was being held down by the edge of his book. _

_Rach curled her fingers up for a moment before releasing them with a sigh. "You'll help me still, right?"_

_Brian's hand covered hers. "Of course. We will do just as we planned. I help you study, and you make me play."_

_Brown eyes met hazel and they both nodded. _

_Brian then grinned. "Have you seen the library?" The wonderment as evident in his tone._

_Rach shook her head. "Yes, it is as lovely as Endless. You cannot go in there on weekends." She brandished her knife at him. "Do you hear me?"_

_A small smile curled the edge of the blond's lips as he dipped his head. "Yes, Ma'am."_

The four Heads settled back into their seats.

It was Minerva that voiced the thoughts they were having. "So, Mr. Punkin is an eagle in badgers clothes and Miss Andrews is the reverse."

Severus leaned back into his seat after retrieving his memory. He was glad that there was a chance that this friendship wouldn't be destroyed by house politics. "We need to watch for cheating between them." He raised an eyebrow at the glares he received. "Not that I expect it to happen, but it is something we need to pay attention to."

The other three agreed reluctantly.

Nodding slightly to himself, Filius dropped a memory into the pensive. "Talking about relationships, Severus what do you know about Mr. Terrance and Miss Batters?"

"Seventh year Slytherin and Gryffindor?" Severus' brow furled. "Nothing concrete as far as I know."

Filius gestured towards the pensive. "I hope that their parents are going to accept whatever it is."

Filius' words rang in their ears as they dropped into the charms classroom.

_The Charms classroom was well lit and it was obvious to the others that Filius had just finished explaining what he wanted everyone to be doing. A quick glance about the room show that the houses were sitting together as much as they were used to doing in the other classes. _

"_Wand movements only, Mr. Gloster." Filius' voice was soft but resounded throughout the classroom. _

Severus watched as the Slytherin dropped his head for a moment before focusing once again on the series of movements he was supposed to be learning.

Pomona nodded towards the two teens in question. "Everyone else is working on the wand movement for _'Confringo', _ but they are practicing the pattern for _Reducto_."

_A short brunette flashed a quick smile over to the darker brunette, her smile brightening her eyes. "Can you get out of study hall this afternoon?"_

_Eric Terrance shot a fast look over to where the professor was helping out another group of students before answering. "I can. Let's meet down near the green houses before dinner."_

_A quick nod was the only response before they turned back to their respective partners. Even though they appeared to be ignoring each other, there were accidental brushes, eyes meeting and quick smiles._

Minerva narrowed her eyes as she took in Miss Batters actions. "Why do you allow them to sit next to each other?"

Filius watched the two. "Because it would be great if the two house can mend their problems, and this might help. Also, neither of their grades have been harmed. They are at the same level if not higher than they used to be."

Severus' lips thinned as he tried to determine the dynamics that this would bring into play. How was he going to safe guard Mr. Terrance from the other in the house? "We need to be sure that they are not caught here. It can cause a lot of strife in both Minerva's and my house. But we can make sure that they have a chance."

The others nodded as they left the memory.

Pomona quickly dropped a memory into the pensive. "Let's see if they were in the greenhouse that evening."

They all dropped into the sliver memory.

Severus looked about him, taking in the plants and the humidity that was present. "Greenhouse Three?"

Pomona nodded. "It is the one more popular with the couples. I happened to be working in it the other evening."

Minerva watched as couples glided through the plants, holding hands. "You aren't typically in here? What get the students to leave at curfew then?"

Pomona just smiled and then nodded towards an approaching couple. "I think that is our pair now."

Filius and Severus moved a few steps over so that they wouldn't be walked through.

"_So, tomorrow we have to make it through potions. Are you ready for Snape's test?" Eric Terrance slipped his fingers through Mary Batter's and drew her closer to him. _

_Mary shook her head. "I tried studying, but the Weasley twins were showing off some new trick in the common room, and it was too late to go to the library."_

_Eric pulled her to a stop before moving to look down at her. "Then you should go study. Or we could review the material together."_

_Mary's head drooped a bit before she sighed and smiled. "Okay, let's review. I need to pass the test."_

They watched as Terrance directed them over to a secluded work bench and began quizzing Batter's over the materials that Severus knew was on the last test he gave. NEWTs were never given an easy time.

Filius looked over at Severus. "Did you really give a test this week?"

"Of course. NEWTs need to know that they have to remember what has been already taught." Severus looked back over at the two. "They seem to be working on a solid relationship."

Minerva stepped over next to him. "They do. Is he of a neutral family?"

The others gave a sigh of relief when Severus nodded.

Their attention was jerked back to the memory as all the couples started for the greenhouse doors.

Pomona grinned at their puzzled looks. The grin dissolved into laughter at their expressions when the ceiling started raining. "It is a spell that I found that waters the plants on a schedule."

Filius shook his head as they came out of the memory. "No wonder they go to the Astronomy Tower."

Minerva sighed lightly before pulling a memory from her head. "I'm changing the topic. I need your opinion on Mr. Bertram."

Filius looked over at her quickly, the scotch bottle clunking on the table. "What are you noticing?"

Minerva shook her head and gestured towards the pensieve. Once again they fell into a classroom, but this time it was Transfigurations.

Severus looked about and noticed that unlike during his class right before this one, the fifth year Ravenclaws and Slytherins were sitting mixed together.

"Mr. Bertram is over here." Minerva led them to the far back corner.

Severus observed his Slytherins as they walked. That was one of the many perks that had come out of this deal, they were able to see how their house students were doing in their basic classes. He was almost in the back corner when he saw Sylvia White playing about. His eyes narrowed as he watched her change her mouse into everything but a butterfly.

Minerva was next to him before he could say a thing. "Miss White is fine, Severus. She in not goofing off. She could easily do what I asked of them, so we have created a different assignment for her."

At Severus' raised eyebrow, she continued. "She is to transfigure the mouse into ten unrelated objects and then incorporate an aspect of each of those ten objects into her final transfiguration, the butterfly."

She gave him a moment more to observe his snake before gesturing towards the back of the room. "Now, Mr. Bertram is over here."

The first thing that they noticed was that Bertram was having problems focusing. It was very obvious when when his attention wondered.

Pomona peered a bit closer at him and then frowned. A quick glance at Severus showed that he was wearing the same concerned frown as she was. Moving over to the Potions Master, she pitched her voice so only he could hear.

"It looks to be allergic." When he nodded, her frown deepened. "We haven't been in a new greenhouse yet, and he wasn't like that yesterday.

"They used sap from the rubber tree for the first time today." Severus focused on the reddened puffy eyelids and the slightly belabored breathing.

"Rubber? That produces a skin rash, doesn't it?" A quick glance showed that, while lightly flushed, Bertram was not breaking out in nettlerash. Severus next words struck her cold.

"Fumes."

Filius studied Bertram for a moment before spotting Pomona and Severus in close conversation. "You two have an idea." It was a statement, not a question.

"He's not taking something he shouldn't be, is he?" Minerva frowned slightly. They all know what the symptoms of the stimulate potions looked like and that tended to be the only thing Ravenclaws abused.

"Unfortunately, that might be what happened." Severus watched as the boy focused once again on his task. He would have to teach the boy the advanced ventilation charm.

"Is Mr. Bertram good with..." His question trailed off when he noticed the stunned expression on the Head of Ravenclaw's face. "Filius, he isn't intentionally doing so. I need to know if he is good in charms."

"Are you show?" As soon as the question was out, Filius waved it away. "Yes, he is just above the average."

Severus nodded. "You need to send Mr. Bertram to see Poppy when we leave here. And he will need to see -"

"That isn't a light flush, Severus. His face is covered with a mild nettlerash." Pomona didn't feel the glare that hit her when she interrupted, but she did notice the change in Severus's tone when he continued.

"We are done. Mr. Bertram needs to be in the infirmary now."

The other three watched as the Head of Slytherin disappeared.

"I'll tell Poppy to test him for rubber allergy while you get him up there, Filius." Pomona nodded as she too disappeared.

Filius and Minerva left tight after her. When they emerged, Severus was already gone and Pomona was in the doorway.

Filius glanced at the evidence of their meeting.

"I'll clean up and leave your potion on your desk. Hurry up, go get Mr. Bertram." Minerva watched as Filius rushed out the door.

After tiding up, Minerva headed off to let Albus know the emergency and that Severus was going to be up all night brewing.

(o.o)

The next morning Minerva sat a pot of the strongest tea that Severus would drink next to his spot at the table as she quietly asked about Bertram. Severus shot a questioning look at Filius.

The other Heads listen closely as Filius told them that the boy would be out for the next couple of days, but would be fine,

Severus nodded and downed his first cup of tea just to refill it. Minerva and Pomona smile and the turned to watched as the students drifted into breakfast.


End file.
